Colonel Douglas E. Moore had a distinguished career spanning three decades as an aviator, commander, and senior staff officer. During two tours in Vietnam, he flew 1,874 combat missions, evacuated 2,782 patients and piloted the aircraft that recovered three American POWs from the North Vietnamese in a highly sensitive mission along the Cambodian Border.

While serving as the commander of the 159th Medical Detachment at Cu Chi, Vietnam during his second tour, he was awarded the nation’s second highest award for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross, for his actions on 10 and 11 Dec. 1968. After having accomplished multiple sorties under heavy enemy fire to evacuate critically wounded infantrymen throughout the day and night, his aircraft came under a fierce enemy attack from both sides while departing the landing zone. One round tore through his helmet, knocking him from the controls and sending the aircraft into a steep bank. Despite being wounded and unable to see out of one eye, he righted the helicopter and assisted his pilot in reporting the enemy locations to the command and control ship and the ground elements.

Between Vietnam tours, he helped organize a unit in Japan that transported more than 63,000 casualties in a two-year period. Later, he commanded the 307th Medical Battalion in the 82nd Airborne Division, served as an Inspection Team Chief in the Department of the Army Inspector General Agency, and commanded the 62nd Medical Group at Ft. Lewis, Washington where he served as air mission commander for the massive rescue effort following the eruption of Mount Saint Helens. He was serving as Executive Officer for The Army Surgeon General when he retired after 30 years of service.

Among his awards and decorations in addition to the Distinguished Service Cross, are the Distinguished Service Medal, 2 awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, 4 awards of the Meritorious Service Medal, and 33 awards of the Air Medal. He was inducted into the DUSTOFF Hall of Fame in February 2004.